Incident on and off the crossroad
by ShannaMoon
Summary: In the one horse town of Reese County, Alabama, things have stated the same since as long as anyone can remember. But when young local CJ begins to encounter some very interesting and frightening strangers, life will never be the same again. Rated M for language and some violence. There may be some smutty smut later on but I haven't decided yet. Gabriel and others later.
1. Chapter 1

"Caroline James Cooper! If you don't get up in the next ten seconds, I'll whoop you so hard..!" came the screeching voice of her mother. CJ buried her head deeper into the pillows to try to block it out. It was no use though.

The warmth of her bed quickly disappeared when the covers were pulled off of her. She looked over her shoulder to see Lily, her giant Blue Tick Hound leaving the room with blankets in her mouth.

"Who ever taught you to do that is gonna burn in hell for all of forever" she groaned, rolling on to her back and sitting up. Her tiny room was already glowing yellow from the mid morning summer sun, and CJ 's eyes watered. She rubbed at them harshly trying to block out the light. She sighed when she opened her eyes, looking down at the black smudges of makeup.

" Goddamnit" she swore softly, just in time for her mother to come in.

"Lords name, little girl. He don't take kindly to blasphemers neither." Her mothers Alabama drawl was always at it's strongest when she was angry.

"Sorry Mama."

"It ain't me you gotta apologize to." Gathering her dirty clothes up, her mother left to room. "Now get up, half the day's already gone. And you got shit to do" she called from down the hall.

Not a month earlier, Caroline James Cooper had done what no other member of her immediate or extended family had managed to do; she graduated high school. One would think that would get everyone off her back for a while, CJ had hoped. But alas, things stated as they always had. Her mother still nagged and criticized every chance she got. He father still only wrote on special occasions (and still spelled her name Carol, no matter how many times she corrected him). The small town of Reese County, Alabama stayed rooted in its old southern ways. The only thing that changed was that CJ, having recently turned 18 as well, could now get married, as her creepy neighbor loved to point out.

Already sweating from the humid June air, CJ pulled her long hair up into a pony tail. Her mother, a natural brunette, constantly hounded her for wearing her hair so long and bleaching it a bright white blonde._ You know what boys think when they see that hair? They think you're easy. You want them to think you're easy?_ It was an argument they had almost weekly.

She pulled herself up into the old pick up truck and prayed it would start. After a few turns of the key, the old Chevy roared to life. Dust and gravel kicked up behind her as she took of down the drive way. Since she was no longer in school, CJ's mother had enrolled her as a delivery girl. Her mother ran one of the largest farms in the whole county. She raised everything from chickens to cows to vegetables. They were able to undercut every store in a 10 mile radius and sell to all the locals. One of CJ's former classmates, Beau ( who was already 24 and just recently decided school wasn't for him), would come over once a week and slaughter the meat for them. He was always a sweet guy, a little too thick in the head to CJ's liking, but sweet. Anyone who wasn't her mother was a welcome sight. It was now her full time job to bring all the jarred goods and frozen meat to the houses. CJ would have said no, but the tip money was more then she had ever made in her life. Plus being able to get out of the house for a few hours a day was like heaven.

When she finally pulled out of their mile long, tree lined drive way and into the open road, CJ was startled by the sudden storm clouds that had appeared. They cast a strange darkness over the still sunny day that put her off. But as soon as the though came, it was gone again. Blasting Luke Bryant as loud as the speakers would let her, CJ took off towards her first destination.

"Well hello beautiful" CJ heard as soon as she shouldered her way into the dimly lit bar. She smiled as she set her boxes down on the nearest table.

"Hey Buddy." The Hollow was always her favorite delivery. The only real bar in the area, The Hollow was run by one of the nicest men CJ had ever known. Robert "Buddy" Taylors made his way over to her and picked up the boxes with one arm.

"You better stay out of the sun, girl! You're red as a tomato!" CJ followed him up the bar and hopped up on to one of the tall stools.

"AC's broke in the truck and it's hot at hell outside, even with the windows down." She said, wiping her burning forehead. "It's so hot I can barely breathe out there."

"It's unusual, I'll give you that. I remember, back before you were born, you could fry an egg on the side walk, it was so hot!" He continued to make analogies that CJ was positive were just old wives tales. As he went on, he poured a large glass from the tap, scanned the all but empty bar, and set it in front of her. CJ was thankful for anything cold, and gulped it down as fast as she could. They talked and laughed for a while, drinking all the time.

The bar door suddenly swung open, and CJ quickly dropped her empty glass behind the counter into the sink. Buddy stood up from where he was leaning and eyed the new costumer curiously. CJ turned in her chair to see who it was, but didn't recognize him. He stood tall; probably a whole foot taller then she, with his dark hair kept neat and short. The thing that unnerved CJ the most was his long tan trench coat. The 100+ degree weather seemed to have no effect on this stranger. He was dressed in a suit and jacket! CJ felt herself start to sweat just looking at him, standing motionless in the door.

"I help you?" Buddy broke the silence first. He voice was so deep and loud that she nearly fell off her chair in fright. But the man just stood there, taking the whole scene in. His blue eyes fell on CJ, and she shifted uncomfortably. Although he didn't look very threatening, something about this strange man scared her. Something wasn't right. Buddy seemed to sense it too, and he spoke again.

"Hey buddy? You hear me?" He stood as still as a stone and remained quiet, watching CJ's every breath.

"The fucks wrong with you?" CJ heard anger rising in the voice behind her and heard him move to where she knew the shot gun was hidden. She turned to try to calm him, but Buddy cut her off.

"You go on in the back now" he met her eyes "It's okay, just go on….. where the fuck did he goes?". When CJ turned back to get off the stool, the man was gone. Where he had just been standing seconds ago was empty. Buddy's mouth hung wide as he stated ahead, utterly confused.

"You saw him right?" CJ asked, walking to where the man had been. She even pulled the door open but saw nothing but an empty street. "He was here, wasn't he?" Buddy walked up behind her and nodded.

"I tell ya, this town sure has some strange characters" he awkwardly laughed. CJ could tell he was trying to act normal, but she saw something that resembled fear in his eyes.

The storm clouds were still hanging over the east end of town, where CJ's house was. She cringed when the wind blew hard and dust went in her eye.

"Jesus, would you look at those!" he said, stepping out onto the side walk. "Might be we get a tornado or something soon. Why don't you get on home, I wouldn't want you to get stuck in that."

As she drove toward the dark clouds, CJ tried to ease her mind. Buddy was right, this town did seem to attract some crazies more often then not. It was probably just some guy who didn't know where he was going, drunk probably. Something just didn't feel right, though. The way he had stared at her gave her goose bumps. There was something in his eyes when he saw her, anger maybe? A blinking red light on the dash brought her out of her thoughts. The check engine light flashed only seconds before the tell tale smoke that comes from the hood when the truck overheated.

"No, please not now!" she whined as she pulled the truck over at the deserted crossroad a little under 3 miles from her driveway. The old truck gave off a deafening bang before dying all together.

"You piece of shit!" she screamed as she banged her fists on the steering wheel. CJ jumped out of the cab and threw the hood up. A cloud of hot smoke rose up. Without thinking, she grabbed for the radiator cap. A white hot searing pain shot up through her hand the second she touched it.

"You cocksucking piece of shit truck!" she screamed before looking at her burning hand. The skin of her palm was all burned off in a nice neat ring. Blood ran down her arm in streams. CJ felt her head start to cloud, but snapped herself back. Now was not the time to pass out. She clumsily ran to the bed and pulled the jug of water she kept in case of over heating. She poured the semi cool water over her burn and nearly bit threw her tongue trying not to scream. The bottom of her white tee shirt became a bandage when she ripped off the entire lower half. The blood seemed to soak through the moment she wrapped it. Her eyes started to blur again and she felt herself sway. CJ sank down to the ground and rested her head back on the tire. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything but the pain.

The wind blew stronger now and CJ opened her eyes. It was dark all around her. The storm clouds seemed to black out the sun entirely but there was no rain. The air was colder now, and CJ shivered. Looking down at her hand, she decided the bleeding had stopped. Her bandages were brownish with dried blood and her bare thigh was covered where her hand had been resting. Forcing herself to get up, she staggered over to the open hood. The once burning engine had cooled, making CJ worried she had been out for longer then intended. The cap came off with some effort, and she poured the water into the warm radiator. CJ slammed the hood shut, only to see a man standing next to the driver's door. Her heart froze in her chest when she saw him and she fell backwards. The burnt hand hit the ground first, and a blinding pain shot up from her arm. The feeling nearly made her sick to her stomach. Before she had a chance to blink, he was in front of her, on his knees.

"Didn't mean to scare you" he said sweetly. CJ took his outstretched hand before realizing it and he swiftly pulled her to her feet. This stranger towered over her, she had to look straight up to see his face. His tan skin all but matched the blonde hair that covered his head. He watched her intently while she searched for something to say. CJ felt a heat run through her when she met his eyes. Her heart started to beat faster and her mouth went dry. Seeming slightly pleased with the reaction, the man took a step back and leaned on her truck. "You're injured, child" he said, motioning toward her bloody hand.

"I burned it" she managed to force out. Her own voice sounded strange and quiet to her. She felt like a mouse in front of a lion. Something about who this man was gave off power, and it put fear deep down inside of her.

"I know a little something about burns" he chuckled to himself and reached his hand out, "May I?"

CJ stood still for a moment, not liking this situation at all. But she put her hand in his all the same. With surprising gentleness, he removed the bandages and examined her burn. She looked away, unsure if she would pass out again if she looked at it.

"What's you're name girl?" he asked, bring her hand close to his face and examining it curiously.

"Caroline"

"That's a very pretty name, but I think I like CJ better." he way he spoke made her feel as though they were old friends. "Suits you more." She was startled when he spoke her name, but said nothing. When she made herself to look, he was already re-wrapping it. He placed his large hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. The air left her lungs completely when their eyes met. "Well CJ, you're going to want to run on home now. A storm is about to hit." He quickly ushered her into the cab and closing the door. When a moment passed without any movement from her, he leaned in and started the engine. "Go on now." She was about to pull away when something inside her made her stop.

"Will you tell me your name?" she asked quietly. The man leaned in with a smile like a snake. He got close enough that CJ could feel the heat from his breath on her neck

"I'm sure you already know it" he whispered and kissed her ear softly. "Go" his voice was dangerous now. CJ threw the truck into drive and sped off towards her house. She glanced in the mirror as the man started to shrink into the distance. In the dirty mirror, it almost looked like someone was standing with him now. CJ shook her head. "How would I know his name?" she said aloud to herself. Her heart was still beating hard in her chest, but the further she drove, the better she felt. The dark clouds continued to roll above her.

_Strange_, she thought, _there should be rain._


	2. Chapter 2: Black Hole Sun

"It's gonna scar for sure" her mother kept mumbling. She covered the burn in aloe as best she could before wrapping it in fresh gauze. "That truck is a death trap, you know" she continued as fastened it tightly. CJ stared intently at the tile floor, trying to ignore the dull ache that had returned to her hand. "One day that old rig is gonna catch fire and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it.

"Well I can't very well walk your crates into town, now can I?" she snapped. Her mother threw a threatening look over her shoulder, but didn't respond. Suddenly exhausted, CJ rested her forehead on the cool wooden table. "I'm sorry mama. I didn't mean to yell." She heard the sound of a chair scrap across the floor and flinched when a hand was placed on her shoulder. CJ looked up, a bit startled, to her mother's sudden maternal expression. Her normally harsh, judging face seemed sweet, almost caring.

"I just worry about you sometimes, sweetheart. I know I haven't always been the kindest to you. I just.." she sighed heavily as her eyes welled up. "…I want more for you then this", she motioned around their tiny kitchen. "You're a good girl. I know that more then you probably do. I just want you to be better then I was." CJ felt her chest tightened and she fought to keep her breathing steady. Her mother had always been so harsh. Nothing CJ ever did seemed good enough in her mothers eyes. Seeing her now, looking kinder but more tired then ever before nearly broke her heart. She opened her mouth to respond, but her mother shook her head, clearly not wanting her sympathy.

Stars had begun to come out by the time they spoke again. CJ sat cross-legged on the floor of their small living room. Lily had one of her favorite rope toys in her mouth and pushed it into her hands, asking her to pull.

"Will you take her out before you go to bed? She ain't been out since before dinner." She kissed her daughter on the head lightly before disappearing into the dark hallway. CJ rubbed her eyes, very aware of how utterly exhausted she was. Lily shook her head rapidly, whipping herself in the face with the trick rope.

"Come on, you dope. Time to go potty!" The giant dog bounded to the back door, skidding to a stop on the tile. As soon as CJ cracked the door open, Lily barreled outside and ran into the dark yard. CJ sat on the steps and watched her walk around the yard, inspecting to make sure nothing was different. On most nights, the temperature would have dropped some by now. But not this night. A rush of hot air hit CJ when the wind blew. The humidity was the same it had been mid day, and she could feel herself start to sweat. Staring up at the millions of stars, CJ thought back on her day. The man on the road appeared clearly in her mind. Had she seen him walking up when the car died? "You just didn't notice him", she said to herself. People don't just appear out of nowhere. That would be crazy.

Something about him stuck in her mind, though. The way he had carried himself, confident and strong, yet somehow soft. It was like no harm could ever come to him, and he knew it. She though of the way he had looked at her made her blood run hot, even now as she sat alone.

"He was a handsome devil, I'll give him that" she announced to Lily, who looked up from the hole she was digging. "Darlin' you should have seen him, I could ride that for.." Lily's suddenly let out a deep growl and took off into the woods. "Shit!" CJ yelled and tore off after her. The dog must have heard a deer or something, CJ decided. If she hit the road, there would be no catching her. Running in the woods this late at night was never a good idea. One wrong step and you would break a leg, or worse. Beau had told her stories when she was younger about wild mutant people living in these woods. It had scared her enough that she refused to go near them until high school. CJ pushed that thought as far away as possible. Branches scratched her as she ran, catching her hair. Lily howled close by and CJ sprinted towards the noise. "LILY! COME BACK! PLEASE LILY!" She stopped in a small clearing, straining her ears to try to hear even the faintest sound. But the woods were nothing but silent, besides the sound of her own heavy breathing. She turned in all directions and whistled. Nothing responded. Fear began to creep into her mind. What if it was a mountain lion? Lily was strong, but a mountain lion would be able to best her with ease. Don't panic yet, she told herself and whistled again.

The small pop behind her startled her nearly to death. CJ turned quickly, positive her stupid dog had come back in one piece. Instead, a man in a black suit stood only feet away from her, a crooked smile plastered across his face. She gasped and jumped back. The stranger only shook his head and pushed his hands into his pockets.

"Didn't mean ta scare ya, love." His thick cockney accent took her by surprise. He rocked back on his heels and stole a quick, but noticeable glance up and down. Watching him carefully, CJ became aware of how little she was wearing. Her pajamas were more then a little old and worn out.

"Been hearing that a lot today" she answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see for myself."

"See what?" Her hand stared to ache and she felt how stiff she had become. There was no way this was going to end well. In her head, CJ tried to figure out what would do the most damage if she threw it at him.

"Well" he took a step closer, "You, of course". His matter of fact tone disturbed her. Like she should already know what he was talking about. He didn't seem familiar, and that definitely wasn't an accent you forget. He clapped his hands and shook his head, like he just remembered something important. "Oh, how rude of me! Forgive me, pet. The name's Crowley. Nice to meet ya." He held a hand out and looked expectantly at her. CJ stood where she was. "No? Okay then. That's a bit rude, but you are incredibly striking, so I'll forgive it. I see exactly why he likes you so much. A little lacking in manners but that can be taught." He seemed to be talking more to himself then her now. "So CJ, do you mind if I call you CJ? I heard that's what you like."

"How do you know my name?" She yelled, and he flinched back slightly. Crowley frowned at her.

"That's your questions? Not how I got here or why? How old are you, girly? A little young for my liking, but hey, don't question the boss right?"

Confused, CJ took another step back and felt a rather large rock behind her foot. Big enough to do a lot of damage if she managed to hit him.

"You are rare, I'll give you that much. Very rare indeed. I can see it, you know. The fire in you. Oh yes, it burns bright and hot inside you. It's, dare I say, perfect." CJ was just about to grab for her weapon when he spoke again. "Wouldn't do that, love." He looked down at the rock and smiled. "Not a bad plan, but it won't do any good." Her mouth hung open as he went on. How had he known? Even in the daylight, it would have been hard for him to see the dark rock. "Besides, I ain't here to hurt you." Crowley suddenly appeared inches away from her face. Her whole body tensed, waiting for a blow that never came. " 'cause if I was, that little thing wouldn't even leave a scratch." The air around them seemed to burn as he spoke. CJ was unable to look away from him. "I'll be off then. I think it's past your bed time, little one." When she didn't speak, Crowley smiled again. When he blinked, his entire eyes turned black. CJ felt as though she was looking into a deep black hole. The air in her lungs burned, and she barely felt her knees give out before her whole world went dark.

The bight yellow of her room made her eyes sting. The sun looked like it was high in the sky already. It must be late. Her mother came in with an overfilled laundry basket and set it on the end of the bed. "Welcome back to the land of the living" she joked with a smile. "Sleep well?"

"Not really", she shook her head. "I had the strangest dream. I could have sworn it was real!" Everything was so vivid in her mind. Usually dreams would fade as you woke up, but not this one.

"That's nice, dear" he mother answered. It was obvious she was no longer really listening. "I'm headed into Allentown today, and I probably won't be back until late tonight. That damn farmer's market messed up my bale orders again." CJ nodded, excited to have the day off. She followed her out into the living room and sunk down on to the couch while her mother opened the front door. "Oh yea, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed. "I can't find Lily. Did you leave her outside last night?"

"Uhhh.." Her mind raced as she thought of her dream. "I don't…. She has to be.." Her mother was already half way out the door.

"Just try to find her, will ya? I have to admit, I've grown found of that over sized flea bag." The door slammed behind her, and CJ fought the urge to be sick.


End file.
